


Aphrodite's Broken Heart

by RavenclawCipherOfCabinOne



Series: The Heart of Aphrodite [1]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017), Legend of the Three Caballeros (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Caballero Donald Duck, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24742339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawCipherOfCabinOne/pseuds/RavenclawCipherOfCabinOne
Summary: The difference between being an adventurer and a hero is that an adventurer feels like they have options. A hero knows there's only one thing to do...the right thing. Always....The earth needs love to live. There's a gem commonly known as 'The Heart of Aphrodite' that, as the legend goes, provides the love the earth needs. But it's cracked and the crack is getting bigger.Xandra asks the Caballero with the most love she knows to sacrifice it for the sake of the earth.
Relationships: Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck & Scrooge McDuck & Webby Vanderquack, Donald Duck & Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck & Xandra
Series: The Heart of Aphrodite [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986043
Comments: 10
Kudos: 174





	Aphrodite's Broken Heart

“What is that?” Huey asked as he and his brothers plus Webby approached the artifact. 

It was encased into the walls perfectly. It would seem hard to pluck it without proper tools. But even as Louie tried to reach for it, Scrooge tapped his hand away with his cane. 

“The _Heart of Aphrodite_...don’t touch. This is not one treasure we can take.” Scrooge said solemnly.

“Why not?” Louie asked with a pout. Followed up by, “Isn’t that the point of our adventuring?”

“Normally, yes. But not this time. See...there’s another aspect of adventuring you wee ones need to learn.” Scrooge answered. 

“Is it the posing? Because we’ve actually been practicing and mine’s the best.” Dewey offered.

“No,” Scrooge said dismissively as he looked at the cracked gem with a deep frown. “There are some adventures you learn a bit more about the place you’re exploring. What makes it up and sometimes how it fits into the grand scheme of things. When you’re young, you may not care much about it and more about the quest or treasure at the end-”

“I mean obviously, what’s the point of these things if not for the treasure?” Louie asked and Dewey nodded.

“I hear a ‘but’ coming though,” Huey said as he noticed his uncle’s tone. 

“ _But_!” Scrooge emphasized. “What we only value at it’s surface, some things were created to maintain a balance. Lock away evil not capable to be destroyed, or simply pillars that help maintain life here on earth, as we know it.” 

“And the _Heart of Aphrodite_ is one of those pillars?” Webby asked as she stepped up to get a better look at it, “It’s cracked...”

“Aphrodite...Storkules mentioned her! Something about asking her for help with Uncle Donald....” Dewey commented with a bit of confusion in his voice. Other than that reference, he wasn’t really sure about her. 

“She’s the Greek goddess of-” Webby began but then gasped as the bright red gem that was glowing on and off got another crack in it. “Are we...talking too loud?”

“No...it’s breaking,” Scrooge said solemnly. 

“That’s not good...right?” Louie asked.

“Considering the Trojan War happened as a result of _her_ being chosen as the fairest, I can’t imagine her heart getting broken would be _anything_ good.” Huey supplied. 

“But this isn’t _actually_ her heart, right? What is it, Uncle Scrooge?” Louie asked. 

“Nay, it’s not her actual heart but it is important. It was gifted to her by Ares as an anniversary present.” Scrooge began. 

“Wasn’t she married to Hephaestus?” Huey asked.

“Yes!” Webby answered. 

“Sounds like a soap opera,” Dewey said.

“Are you going to let me finish!?”

There was a chorus of ‘Sorry, Uncle Scrooge!’.

“This gem is what allows love to be felt and given to everyone on earth. If it breaks...there will be no love.” 

“That’s gonna be a bummer for Valentine's day,” Louie said. 

“Man, if they cancel Valentine's day then we’ll have no sweets giving holiday in February! No 75% off of chocolate February 15th!” Dewey cried. 

“It’s not just romantic love, you knuckleheads! ALL sorts of love! Romantic, platonic...familial.” Scrooge said the last one quietly.

The triplets and Webby shared a look. Love was a concept. They weren’t interested in romantic love, yet, and it was the sort of love one thinks about the most when hearing the word. But they all understood that some of the most epic moments of their adventures, their most heroic feats, were acts of love for each other and want to keep each other safe. 

“What does that mean for us if it breaks?” Huey asked. 

“An entire world full of indifference,” Scrooge answered. 

“That doesn’t sound... _too_ bad,” Louie said, though he didn’t sound too convinced. 

“But it won’t come to that! Right, Uncle Scrooge?” Webby asked. 

“Fix a goddess broken heart? Let me Dewey-it!” Dewey exclaimed as he walked up towards the gem. Only to be yanked back by Scrooge.

“Careful, laddie! We came here to see how bad the damage is. The cure is sadly...a sacrifice.” Scrooge answered. 

“Sacrifice? What sort of sacrifice?” Louie demanded, already eyeing the gem warily and taking a step back from it. 

“Someone with very powerful love. Love so strong it’ll move mountains, give hope to the hopeless, make you believe everything will be alright despite it being _not_ alright. It’s rare and asking someone to give it up for the world isn’t easy...” Scrooge explained. 

“Does someone like that even exist?” Dewey asked with a head tilt. 

“Aye. But anyway, we’ve come what we came for. Let’s head back and make a proper plan.” Scrooge said and was met with grumbling, but they all headed back towards the aeroplane. 

* * *

“It was a gift from Ares to Aphrodite...” Xandra began as she looked at the cracking gem rather than her valiant hero. “The saying ‘all’s fair in love and war’ stems from their relationship. Love can be dangerous. The things one is willing to do for it...” She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “I know it’s not fair to ask this of you. And I can already hear the angry tirades of the other two, but there is no one I can think of who fits the criteria better. Someone who is so angry at the world...but loves just as intensely.”

“If I don’t do this...bad things will happen, won’t they?” Donald asked, though he already knew the answer. At Xandra’s nod, he sighed but forced a smile anyway. “What do I do?”

She reaches for his amulet and places it in his hands. “Think about all that you love.”

He does. He doesn’t have to think too hard because the answer is easy. His kids. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby. Others popped in too. Panchito and Jose, Xandra too. Daisy, May, June, and April. Ari, Launchpad, Scrooge, Mrs. B...he had a lot of love and respect that fueled him. And now it would have to fuel the world for a couple of centuries. 

Xandra watched with a sad expression as the love manifested itself into a whirlwind of stardust that swirled from Donald and into the blue amulet. After it was done, she caught Donald as such a task drained him of...a lot, and gently placed him against the wall. With tears in her eyes, she replaced Ares’ cracking heart with Donald’s intact one. 

* * *

Scrooge let the kids wander off after some time helping. He had plenty of work to do atop of trying to figure out how to cure Aphrodite’s heart. 

There was a swoosh sound and he grabbed his cane and pushed back his chair to stand as a bright whirlwind appeared. When it manifested into a creature of some sort he wasn’t too phased, but when he noticed who it was holding, his grip on his cane tightened, “Put. Him. Down. _Gently_!”

The goddess does, resting Donald on the couch near the wall before she turned to look at Scrooge with a saddened expression. “Scrooge McDuck...”

“Aye...and who are you? More importantly, what have you done to my nephew?”

“My name is Xandra. I am the goddess of adventure.” Unlike before, when she would have exclaimed her title with mirth and excitement, it was a mere introduction she knew would hold Scrooge’s interest. 

The older duck gasped and muttered, “ _Bless me bagpipes...”_ But he couldn’t be as thrilled as he would have been under normal circumstances. He looked over to Donald with a concerned look. “What happened?” 

“You’re aware of the condition of the _Heart of Aphrodite?_ ” Xandra asked. 

Scrooge nodded and gestured to his desk, “I’ve been looking into possible answers.”

“...there’s no longer a need. It’s been resolved.” She said sadly. 

Scrooge narrowed his eyes. “ _How_?”

He followed her gaze over to Doland’s form and his eyes widened and he rushed to his nephew to inspect his vitals. As he did, Xandra continued to explain. “The heart was far too broken. There’s no way to cure or fix it. It needed to be replaced. I need not remind you the vital role the heart plays on Earth...nor of the sacrifices done for the sake of love.” 

Scrooge’s grip on Donald was like a vice, “He’s not waking up...why isn’t he waking up?”

“I placed him in a slumber.” Xandra answered. She didn’t flinch when Scrooge snapped his head at her and demanded the reason for it. “It was his request. He didn’t want the boys to see him without love...the love for them was the only thing that kept him going for over a decade. And now, that same love will keep the earth alive.”


End file.
